Good morning, Historic Triangle!

Because you mentioned that you can read this weekly news update in just 5 minutes (even better!), “News in 10” will now be called “News in 5.”

You’ll also notice that a weekly events section has been added. Have an event you’d like to submit for consideration? Email me at [email protected].

Here are your top local, statewide and national stories, broken down into a quick, 5-minute read.

Local

1. After just one week of school, nearly 300 York County students and staff are in quarantine.

• Everyone in quarantine was either diagnosed with Covid-19 or had contact with someone who had the virus during the first week of school, according to the Daily Press.
• The division stated that most of the cases appear to have occurred through community transmission, but incidents of students arrive at school with Covid-19 systems were reported.
• All students and faculty are urged to undergo health screenings at home before coming to school.
• Students who are in quarantine must continue to do their schoolwork from home.
• Williamsburg-James City County also quarantined 46 students on Friday after 32 students and five teachers tested positive for the virus.

Twitter See @YCSD’s post on Twitter. twitter.com/YCSD

2. A name change for Thomas Nelson Community College has been approved by the college’s Board.

• The college announced that its Board approved a new name – Virginia Peninsula Community College – after a special session on Wednesday, Sept. 1.
• The State Board is expected to vote on the name change at its meeting on Sept. 22-23.
• A year ago, the college established a naming task force – consisting of students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members – to research the origins of the institution’s name. The task force also developed criteria for the name change.
• The college is currently named after Thomas Nelson, Jr., a native of Yorktown who signed the Declaration of Independence and was also a slave owner.
• At a town hall in July, College Board Chair Dr. Vince Warren said that the college is “excited to move forward with a new name that reflects our surroundings and honors our mission.”

Statewide

1. Pandemic unemployment assistance expired in Virginia on Saturday.

• Sept. 4 brought an end to extended unemployment compensation for freelance and gig workers as well as those who ran out of regular state unemployment. The $300 federal boost also expired.
• About 60,000 Virginians will lose their financial safety net with the discontinuation of the unemployment programs, WAVY News reports.
• Advocates are concerned that the expiration of these programs – combined with the cutoff of the national eviction moratorium – could have dire consequences for residents continuing to struggle to make ends meet amid the surge in Covid-19 cases spurred by the delta variant.
• The expiration comes as the Virginia Unemployment Commission (VEC) faces a class-action lawsuit for allegedly failing to process more than ninety thousand applications in a timely manner during the pandemic.

2. Hurricane Larry could impact Virginia’s coastal areas next week.

• The Category 3 Hurricane is continuing to make its way through open waters and may cause damaging winds, heavy rain and flooding in Bermuda over the next few days.
• An AccuWeather forecast projected that Larry could reach Category 4 status with maximum sustained winds of 130 to 156 mph, making it even stronger than Hurricane Ida.
• While the hurricane is expected to have limited impacts on the U.S, life-threatening surf and rip currents are possible along the East Coast, according to Newsweek.
• The outer banks and Virginia Beach are at risk of seeing some substantial impacts early this week to midweek, WRIC reports. The hurricane is expected to affect the northeast and Canada as it moves up the coast.

National

1. The Taliban has reportedly overtaken Panjshir, the last holdout of anti-Taliban forces in Afghanistan.

• After days of fighting, thousands of Taliban forces overran eight Panjshir districts overnight, according to the AP.
• Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid sent out a Tweet on Monday declaring that “Panjshir province completely fell to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.”
• The Taliban also claimed that some resistance fighters were killed in the battle. The anti-Taliban forces were previously led by the nation’s former vice president, Amrullah Saleh.
• The news of the Panjshir takeover comes as it was recently revealed that six planes, chartered to help people escape the Taliban’s takeover, have been grounded. Newsweek reports that the planes – which planned to evacuate at least 1,000 people, including over 100 Americans – were grounded as part of negotiations with the U.S State Department.

2. Ida’s death toll continues to rise as more than 500,000 remain without power.

• As of Sunday, at least 68 individuals were confirmed to have been killed by the Category 4 hurricane, CBS News reports.
• The storm made landfall in Louisiana last Sunday with wind gusts reaching up to 172 mph – among the strongest ever recorded in the U.S.
• More than half a million people in Louisiana are still without power a week after Ida hit, according to Axios.
• On Friday, Anheuser-Busch announced that they are working with the Red Cross to distribute more than 400,000 cans of emergency drinking water to the region amid ongoing water shortages.
• Meanwhile, recovery efforts are continuing after Ida brought intense flooding to areas of New York, New Jersey and New England.
• At a news conference Sunday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said that the state is contending with more than $50 million in damage affecting about 1,200 homes. At least 17 people in the state died from the hurricane’s impacts.

Events This Week

Multiple Days

Homeschool Program Days – American Revolution Museum at Yorktown. 9 am – 5 pm. Daily, all week.

Howl-O-Scream – Busch Gardens in Williamsburg. Friday-Sunday, Sept. 10-12. 6-10 pm.

Patriots Triathalon Festival – Jamestown Settlement. Friday-Sunday, Sept. 10-12. Event times vary; see website for details.

Monday, Sept. 6

Yoga Overlooking the River – Watermen’s Museum in Yorktown. 6-6:50 pm.

Busch Gardens Bier Fest – Busch Gardens in Williamsburg. Final day of event; 10 am – 7 pm.

Thursday, Sept. 9

Rhythms on the Riverwalk Concert Series: The Whiskey Rebellion – Riverwalk Landing in Yorktown. 6:30-8:30 pm.

Saturday, Sept. 11

Yorktown Market Days – Riverwalk Landing in Yorktown. 8 am – 12 pm.

Williamsburg Farmers Market – 410 W. Francis St. in Williamsburg. 8 am – 12 pm.

Watermen’s Museum Oyster Roast – Watermen’s Museum in Yorktown. 12 – 3 pm.

Libation Tour and Tasting – Walking event. Starts at Mobjack Bay Coffee Roasters in Yorktown. 3:30 – 5 pm.

Lafayette Leopards at William and Mary Tribe – Zable Stadium in Williamsburg. 6 pm.

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Have comments, suggestions or a story idea? Want to let me know how I’m doing? Email me at [email protected].